Students in the JEC Lower School got to leave their classrooms for a virtual trip that was, as one student put it, “Literally out of this world.” The PTA-sponsored planetarium was provided by Cosmic IQ, an Engelwood, NJ-based experiential education company that combines digital media with interactive activities to provide an immersive learning experience.

The first part of the presentations inside the blow-up planetarium featured grade-appropriate multimedia presentations on space, while the second half included an interactive component and a virtual tour of the solar system. “Besides the educational component,” shared Mr. Chaim Eichen, who facilitated the program for Cosmic IQ, “We try to convey a sense of responsibility towards humanity and our planet.” Mrs. Suzi Kaplan, the fifth grade girls’ teacher agreed and said, “This was a great culmination of our study on the sun, moon, stars and planets. It really complements our curriculum and also gives our students a unique perspective on the night’s sky.”